The pace of the game was measured, even stately on a hot day. Footwork was more frequent in the field than diving. But unforced errors – like long-hops and full tosses – were remarkably few, or maybe understandably few, because these cricketers have been playing for well over half a century. For sure, in the end, England owed a lot to the wise old heads who got them over the line calmly – one of them the grandson of the famous conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent – without slogging the ball in the air and giving their wickets away, as their juniors might have done.

Australia’s run-rate never reached five runs an over even though the pitch was made for batting, and even though Evans resorted to an unusual tactic: he kept his bowlers going once they had started, and did not switch them around towards the end of Australia’s innings. It was the incoming batsmen who had to adjust, and they never really got going, contained not only by the bowlers but some sharp wicketkeeping from Nigel Belletty, also of Gloucestershire.